Magic, Pumpkin Carriages and Silver bows
by white pedal
Summary: A Yugioh version of Cinderella:) Daiana is a young girl forced to be a slave by her step mother and step sisters and Ryou is a lonely prince, what will happen when these two meet at the ball? Pairings: Scarshipping, Creampuffshipping, Blueshipping, Ryou/OC and thief Bakura/OC
1. Introduction

_**I AM GOING ALL OVER THE PLACE!** ** I have so many idea's that are just coming out like nothing, it's insane! I just pray I'll be able to get my other fics done soon. "sigh" And now here is my other fic who just doesn't want to be patient.**_

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Once upon a time, in a far off land, there lived a kind man by the name Arthur Hawkins. He was a Duke and very well-known in society as a rich man with a good heart and very charitable to the poor in the kingdom. He loved the land he lived in, it was filled romance, tradition and he was eagerly excited about science coming into the world, Arthur was the first man to volunteer to try it and he fell in love with the beauty that is science. He was determined to change the world with every experiment he had conducted and go down in history as the first scientist in high society.

Not only was Arthur a kind man, he was also a loving father to his only daughter, Daiana. She was a sweet little girl with wavy raven black hair with a pink bow on top, her honey brown eyes filled with innocence and wonder. She was kind, gentle and like her father she was determined herself to change the world for the better.

While Arthur and Daiana had a happy life, he still felt like that Daiana needed a mother's care. His wife died after Daiana was born and he thought that having a maternal figure in her life will be good for her since she will need a role model to teach her about etiquette and how to act like a lady.

It wasn't long until Arthur married again to a woman of high-class and of good family. Her name is Medea, she had beauty and elegance, Arthur thought she was perfect for his daughter to look up to, she had two daughters of her own from a previous marriage before her own husband died. Their names are Karuko and Miho, Karuko was two years older than Daiana while Miho the same age as her stepsister, Arthur thought everything was perfect and he had given his daughter a complete family with a new mother and two sisters.

In reality, Arthur made a terrible mistake.

A week after he and Medea got married Arthur was found dead in his studies. Everyone who knew him was devastated, but the one who was more broken about his death was Daiana. To make matters worse, around his untimely death her stepmother and sister's true nature was revealed, they were cold, cruel, spoiled and selfish. Medea showed no sadness about her husband's death and neither did her daughters.

Soon after Arthur's death Medea took all the fortune and spent it on her daughters and left Daiana with nothing. Medea hated Daiana because she was jealous of her step daughter's charm and beauty, while her daughter's are beautiful themselves she feared that Daiana will become a threat when she gets older and will ruin her daughter's chances since Daiana is more skilled in the arts and etiquette and will no doubt capture the attention of many nobles that will ask for her hand in marriage.

That is when Medea forced Daiana to become a slave in her own house. She forced her to do the cooking, cleaning and had her sleep in the attic while she gives her daughter's dresses, jewelry and did whatever she could to increase their chances of marrying a man of high status.

For ten years Daiana put up with the mistreatment of her stepfamily. Despite it all, however, she remained kind and gentle and knew in her heart that it will not last forever. She always knew that one day she will escape the hell she had been forced to endure and will find the happiness she desired. She kept her head held high and kept on dreaming of the day she will have freedom.

It was only a matter of time.

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_**End of Introduction, now let the story begin:) please R&R**_


	2. Ten Years Later

_**Okay, I'm going to make a promise to myself to finish this story. That way I can always look back on it to encourage myself to finish my other stories. Hopefully.**_

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The sun was rising over the land and the people were getting ready to start the day. They were opening their shops, flower shops, bakery's and dress shops, they were laughing as they chatted with one another as they started their day. It was another normal day in the kingdom with everyone doing their normal routines.

Meanwhile, in the outskirts of the town was a large house. It was stone made from top to bottom with wooden doors and window frames, the estate was drenched from last nights rain storm and the air was filled with a fresh scent. The flowers were in bloom as the sun's rays hit them, the animals in the barn yawned as they woke up. Everything was peaceful.

Except inside the house.

"Get back here you stupid cat!" Kaurko yelled at the feline that was running around with her pearl necklace in its mouth.

Karuko was now twenty years old. She grew into a beautiful woman with orange hair that was let down, flawless skin and an hour-glass figure, but she has become more spoiled and cruel than when she was a child. Her ice blue eyes held deception and her glares can turn anyone into ice on the spot.

The cat meowed as it let's go of the pearl necklace and it broke. The pearls were all over the floor and before Karuko knew it started to fall to the ground as she was slipping on them, she lifted herself up and glared at the cat who had a mischievous look in its unusual velvet blue eyes.

He is a Persian cat who is white as snow and is scruffy with its long fur spread everywhere on his body. The cat is fully grown, about seven years old, but it still gets into mischief like a kitten. On his right eye he has a scar with two slits on it and the feline was grinning.

Karuko was furious. "When I get my hands on you, you are going to wish you had one life instead of nine!"

The cat ran off while Karuko got up and brushed her red dress. Then she heard a sniffling sound, she turned around and saw her eighteen year old sister Miho crying with a yellow dress in her hands, it was scratched and torn.

"I take it that the cat got you to?" Karuko asked while she put her hands on her hips.

"That mean cat ruined my favorite dress!" Miho exclaimed, " I was going to wear it for a special occasion to!"

"Believe me we got bigger problems than your dress being torn, that cat broke my pearl necklace."

"GIRLS!" Yells a voice, Karuko and Miho turned around and saw their mother Medea coming to them in rage.

Her orange hair was in a bun, she wore a puffy purple shirt with a emerald on the collar and a black skirt. Her blue eyes were filled with anger as she stopped in front of her two daughters.

"Do you know where that pesky feline went!?" She demanded.

Karuko spoke first. "The dumb cat went that way when I chased him to get my pearl necklace back from it. Then he broke it and I fell to the ground! and believe me if tries that again it will be the last thing he'll ever do in this life time!"

Miho sniffled. "And when I woke up this morning I saw him tearing at my dress! it's completely ruined mother!"

Medea gave her daughter's a look of sympathy."Oh my poor darlings," then she became angry again, "You two need to see what he's done in the other room."

Karuko and Miho followed their mother to the next room. When they got their the girls gasped in horror, there was a giant painting her Medea, Karuko and Miho posing with flowers. The painting was scratched and torn with pieces of the picture on the ground, Karuko and Miho were furious.

"How dare that fur ball do something like this!" Karuko exclaimed.

"Miho is angry now!" Miho exclaimed as her tears disappeared.

Medea looks at her daughters. "It turns out that cat did it last night when we were asleep."

Karuko asks her mother "Why did we even get that cat mother? It's out of control and does whatever it pleases regardless of the consequences that will follow."

"It is because his breed is extremely popular among the aristocrats and nobility Karuko. I wanted to make a good impression in high society, but seeing that cat misbehaving will give me a bad reputation if anyone see's the chaos it causes."

Two weeks ago Medea wanted to further her status as a noble. One day she saw a few aristocrats on the streets showing off their Persian cats to one another. Medea saw that those cats were getting popular all over Europe and became desperate to find one, on her way home she found the Persian cat on the streets, he was covered in dirt, had a broken leg and a fresh-cut on his eye. She took him home to finally claim that she has the cat of the aristocrats.

Until the cat got healthy and started to cause trouble.

Medea pinched the bridge of her nose. "That's what I get for taking in a street cat."

Karuko crossed her arms, "To think when that cat's leg healed he would end up causing so much damage. Even when we locked our doors that mangy feline still manages to sneak in and steal our stuff!"

Miho nods. "And if a noble comes along we won't have any nice dresses or jewelry to wear to make us look lovely for them. That cat is going to ruin everything."

Medea starts to think. "Right, but I can't get rid of him because that will not look good on me. Throwing that cat away will be like a serious crime in the eyes of society, so until we have a solution we're stuck with him."

Karuko and Miho sighed. "Well I'll just have to fix my necklace then." Karuko says.

Miho joins in with a sad look. "And Miho's dress."

"I don't think so!" Medea exclaims, "No daughter's of mine are going to be forced to clean up after someone who made the mess in the first place! you two are too delicate for such things like that, and one day you'll be married to a man of high status, nobility are supposed to have everything handed to them and not do the work themselves!"

Karuko and Miho remembered now. "Oh that's right, we apologize mother for forgetting your lesson." Karuko says.

Medea smiled. "That's my girls," Medea suddenly had a wicked smirk on her face "And besides, we already have someone to clean up after us."

The girls ended up having grins on their faces and all three of them yelled out.

"DAIANA!"

* * *

Daiana was fast asleep on her bed. Her bedroom walls were all wood and her floors were concrete, she had a broken mirror on her dresser and there was a hole in her ceiling.

Needless to say, her living conditions were deplorable.

Still Daiana had a peaceful look on her face as she continued dreaming. Her breathing was steady and her raven black hair swept across her face gracefully, the sun gently kissed her face but it didn't disturbed her as she continued sleeping.

The door creaked opened and the cat came in. He walked towards Daiana's bed and jumped on it, he went over to her and started to meow but Daiana was still asleep.

"Meow?"

Daiana groaned.

Twitch.

"Meow?"

Breathing steadily.

The cat started to lose his patience. He went to her head.

He started slapping Daiana's head as he meowed loudly as he furiously wakes her up. Daiana shot up her head and started to blink a few times.

"What!?" Daiana says as she tries to figure out what's going on.

She looks down and see's the Persian growling at her and moving his tail left to right. Daiana sighs at the cat.

"For once can you not do that?" She asks the feline, the cat gave a shrug and jumps off her bed.

Daiana gets out of bed to get dressed."Guess you couldn't be patient for your breakfast then huh Kura?"

The cat stretches as he waits for the human girl to get dressed. She came out from behind her curtain in a worn out dress that reached her knee caps with a white apron, she wore her hair down but had a torn blue bow in her hair.

"Well I'm ready for the day," she says cheerfully, she looks down at Kura and smiles, "hey, looks like your leg is all better, and your wound healed. Even though there is a scar there at least it's not infected."

The cat rolled his eyes and licked his paw.

"DAIANA! DAIANA!" Daiana heard Karuko, Miho and Medea yelling out her name angrily.

She gasped, "Oh dear, they seem mad about something," she turned her attention to Kura and gave him a glare "Kura, you better not have anything to do with it." Daiana warned.

"Daiana! get your behind down here now!" Medea demanded.

"I'm coming stepmother!" Daiana ran down stairs while Kura scratched his ear.

* * *

When Daiana got downstairs she saw her stepmother and sisters with their arms crossed and were looking furious.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"That cat broke my pearl necklace!" Karuko exclaimed, "I was getting dressed when he came in and took the pearls right from my hands!"

Miho joined in. "And that nasty cat ruined Miho's dress, it's torn apart and it was my favorite dress!"

Daiana saw the pearls in Karuko's hands and Miho's torn dress and gasp.

"Oh no! that's awful!"

"It gets worse," Medea comes in, "he also scratched up the portrait in the guest room."

Daiana mentally slaps her forehead_ "Kitty! why did you do that!?"_

"Well we can't really blame him, guys," Daiana starts "we have to remember that he was on the streets before so he isn't exactly a domestic cat. It will take a lot of patience and discipline to work with him so he will know his limits and can be a pet."

Medea gave a scoff. "Right, like that will happen. Look at what he did to our house when he first got here!"

Daiana gives her stepmother a confused look. "Stepmother his leg was broken and he had a cut across his eye, I was busy nursing him back to health, he wasn't causing any trouble then."

"True, but when his leg healed that's when all hell broke loose." Medea says.

"Remember how he knocked over the wine bottles downstairs?" Karuko says.

"And how he got into mother's make up, he spread the powder all over the house." Miho says.

Daiana nodded and sighed. "Yes..I remember..and I had to clean it up afterwards."

Medea shoves a broom and sewing kit into Daiana's hands. "And you are going to do it again! you will fix Karuko's necklace and Miho's dress, and we will have to get another artist to come in and make another portrait."

Medea smiled and clapped her hands together, "And that means my girls will have to get pretty up for the picture!"

The two girls gasped and ran towards their bedrooms to get ready. Medea looks back at Daiana with a sneer.

"As for you, I want you do clean the kitchen, sweep the floors, clean the gutters, the tapestries and polish the chandeliers."

Daiana wanted to say that she already did, but as she tried to say something Medea gave her a glare that made her froze. No matter how much Daiana wanted to speak up she couldn't, Medea was in total control of everything from the house to the inheritance. And she knew that once wrong word or move would end in tragedy, she sighed.

"Alright stepmother." Daiana slumped.

"Good girl." Medea smiled as she turned around and walked away.

Daiana scolded herself silently. "Oh Daiana, why do you do let her walk all over you?"

* * *

Daiana was scrubbing the last pot and rinsed it and put it in the sink. She had a hard day doing all the chores in the house, she had to fix her stepsisters belongings that Kura wrecked this morning, and then she had to do all the laundry, cooking, cleaning and what ever Medea wanted her to do next, even if it's unneccessary.

Daiana wiped her forehead as she finished the last pot. She went over to the fire-place to relax.

"Finally it's done."

Daiana may have to do the chores daily, she was use to it. For ten years she always cleaned up after her stepfamily, ever since her father died she was forced to become a servant. It was the worst day of her life when her father died, it was one week after he married Medea and Daiana found him dead in his studies.

When her stepmother found out her husband died she immediately made arrangements for the funeral and that was when she revealed her cruel nature to Daiana, when her father's funeral took place, Medea forced Daiana to stay home and Daiana couldn't go to her father's grave to mourn. After the funeral Medea haughtily read the will saying that her father has left everything to her and she spent it on her two daughters for dresses and beauty products. Medea never liked Daiana and she didn't know why.

The only reason she puts up with the mistreatment is because the truth is, she had no where else to go. And she couldn't possibly leave the only home she's ever knew, even if she had a stepfamily who hated her guts, but she didn't want this life. She didn't want to be mistreated anymore but what can she do? she dreams of freedom but she can't find the opportunity to escape, where will she get the money? Where will she go? What will she do for the rest of her life?

"Meow!"

Daiana turned her head and see's Kura sitting next to her. She puts her hands on her hip with a disapproving look.

"You are in serious trouble mister, because of you I had to do double the work then what I usually do every day! why do you have to cause so much trouble!?"

The cat meowed again as he moved his tail around. Daiana sighed and gave him a mock glare.

"And I didn't appreciate that wake up call this morning either," Daiana looks up at the ceiling "You woke me up from a wonderful dream."

Kura looks at Daiana with a cocked eyebrow and made a sound.

"I know this will sound silly but, It was so beautiful I never wanted to wake up."

Kura tilted his head at her in wonder. Daiana shook her head and smiled at the cat with a twinkle in her brown eyes.

"Mhm, can't tell." She smiled dreamily.

Kura growled in annoyance and Daiana pats his head.

"If I told you, it won't come true. Besides, this is something that I hold very precious to me."

Kura rolled his eyes and walked away to his milk bowl and starts drinking. Daiana giggled at the grumpy cat.

She looks out the widow at the top of the ceiling as the suns ray shun through. She had a gentle smile of her lips as the sun kissed her face, she loved the warmth of the sunshine as it comforted her.

"One day, when an opportunity presents itself. I'm going to be free.

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_**Chapter 1! for once it didn't take two weeks! Chapter 2 will be up as soon as I get some more idea's. Please R&R, have a great day!**_


	3. The Prince and the Proposal

_**Okay, I know what you're all thinking "Where the hell is Ryou? He and Thief Bakura are supposed to be in this!"**_

_**Well I did promise you the irresistably cute Ryou, and now here he is:)**_

**Enjoy:)**

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The castle was busy as always. Maid's were cleaning and washing the sheets as usual, the cooks were baking, the gardeners were tending to the flowers and the servants worked at the stables with the animals and chores outside.

Two maids were walking by, but suddenly they stopped and went wide-eyed. Someone was walking towards their direction, it was a young man with long white hair, he had a pale complexion and dark innocent brown eyes. He wore a green collared shirt with baige stripes going down his chest. He wore a pair of baige pants and black shoes, the maid's blushed at the sight of the beautiful boy.

"Hello ladies," he says politely, "Do you know where the King is? He told me he wanted to see me."

The maid's smiled and pointed down the hallway, "He's in the throne room dear!" says the elder maid.

"He's waiting for you, Prince Ryou." a young maid says with her cheeks burning.

The boy, Prince Ryou, smiles at the women."Thank you so much, have a wonderful day."

Ryou walked away and the maid's continued to look at Ryou dreamily.

When Ryou reached the throne room, he knocked on the door and waited for an answer.

"Enter," said a voice from the other side.

Ryou opened the door and went into the room. There Ryou saw the King and queen sitting on their thrones, King Seto was wearing a white-collar shirt with two blue stripes and a blue cape with white tights and boots. His blue eyes looked down at the young prince in boredom.

Seto's queen, Kisara, sat on the throne beside her husband. She wore a beautiful long white dress with short sleeves that was frilled like flower petals and gold linings at the top, her long white hair framing her face and her blue eyes shun brighter than her tiara and she had a kind smile.

Ryou smiled. "You called me your highness?"

Seto spoke. "Yes, we need to talk."

Ryou gulped. He was nervous around King Seto, he knew that Seto was impatient, cold and easily annoyed. When Seto used that tone of voice with his ice cold glare that would even put the fear of God in the strongest warrior alive he knows something's wrong.

Kisara looked at Ryou smiling. "Ryou, me and Seto just want to talk to you about something very important."

Ryou blinked.

"Oh, and what would that be my Queen?"

"Well," Kisara starts, "You have been in our Kingdom for a very long time."

Ryou nodded. "Yes, and I thank the both of you for the support you've given me and my Kingdom when I couldn't support it myself as a young child."

Kisara nodded. "Yes we did and you're welcome," Kisara started to get a bit nervous, "but, Ryou, it's been over ten years now since you've been here and..well."

"Yes my Queen?" Ryou asks.

"She means it's time for you to get out of my kingdom and become king in your own land." Seto blurted out.

Ryou was stunned from the kings words, while Kisara looked at her husband mortified and angry.

"Seto!" Kisara exclaimed.

The King looks at his wife. "What? it's the truth, he's been here long enough and it's time for him to go back to his own kingdom and actually fix it himself."

Ryou had a sad expression."Oh I see, I'm so sorry that I over stayed my welcome at your Kingdom. I had no idea I was being a burden to you two."

"I did." Seto said flatly, only to have Kisara glare at him.

"You're not a burden, we just thought that now you're eighteen you have now come of age to become King. Besides Seto and I helped your Kingdom's people for a long time and we believe that you are ready to take back your land fully.

Ryou nodded. "Right, I guess it is time that I take over the throne. I mean like you said I am of age to be King."

Seto remarked. "I will be happy to pack your bags myself." Seto got elbowed by Kisara, who glared at her husband.

"Besides you two trained me to be ready for the throne so it was bound to happen one day right?" Ryou says while scratching his cheek with a sheepish smile.

Ryou lived with King Seto when he was eight years old. When Ryou was a little boy an economic crisis struck his land and he had to flee his Kingdom, he stayed with Seto and Seto's father, the previous king, even though Seto didn't like it. He wants to believe that he and Seto have a brotherly bond, even though Seto is cold and denies it. When Seto married Kisara he saw her as a sister figure and who, which amazed the prince, is able to keep Seto under control.

Despite that he was grown up now, he is still not confident that he can rule over a kingdom. He was shy, timid and distant from other people, not to mentioned he was quite uncoördinated when he's nervous. In his own mind he wasn't ready and was honestly terrified.

Kisara continued, "That's not all Ryou. Even though you are old enough to be king and had all the training and the education required to rule, there is still one thing you need to do. You must require the one thing that will guarantee the security and prosper of your kingdom that will help and continue to flourish it."

Ryou looked at the beautiful queen in confusion. "What is it Kisara?"

"...You must get married."

Ryou froze and felt his heart stop beating for a second. The word "marriage" made Ryou feel dizzy to the point he felt that he was going to be sick.

"I'm sorry Kisara, what did you say?" Ryou asked with his voice cracking.

Seto's eye twitched. "Are you deaf? She said that to become king you have to get married and have a queen who will give you an heir to the throne."

Ryou almost collapsed and hung on to the table. "Marriage, Queen, heir!"

Seto looks at Kisara. "Looks like he's having a mental break down."

Kisara got up from her throne to Ryou and helped him stand, she was starting to grow concerned for the young prince.

"Ryou, are you alright?". she asked.

Ryou looked at her nervously. "Uh, Kisara...don't you think we're kinda rushing into things?"

"What's the problem? Kisara and I are married, it's not a big deal." Seto stated.

Ryou looks at Seto. "Well Seto you and Kisara love each other, and I don't think I'm comfortable marrying a complete stranger. And when we're ruling a kingdom we might not really...well, talk."

Seto had a bored and annoyed expression and grunted.

Kisara smiled. "I know that you would be unsure of this Ryou, but I have an idea that will guarantee to help you find a bride."

Ryou looks at her curiously. "What do you have in mind?"

Kisara smiled. "We'll throw a ball."

Ryou froze while Seto practically had a heart attack when he heard his wife's idea. Ryou is terribly shy around people in social gatherings, he couldn't stand being in a room with dozens of people for five minutes before sneaking off because he was uncomfortable to be with that many people.

Seto hated all people in general. He hated social gatherings, he was not someone who enjoys parties and knowing his anti social personality a ball will not be fun for him.

"Why would you want to throw a ball for Ryou?" Seto asked his wife.

Kisara smiled."Because that way, Ryou will be able to meet all the eligible maidens in the land to choose from. He'll dance with them, talk to them and then Ryou will decide which one of the maidens he wants to marry."

Seto face palmed himself at his wife's words, knowing Ryou it will a long night for the king.

Kisara continues. "And the ball will be tomorrow night."

Ryou's jaw nearly dropped to the ground while Seto froze.

"T..tomorrow night?" Ryou says stuttering in disbelief.

Seto's jaw was tight and he looked at Kisara wide-eyed, "And you didn't tell me!?"

Kisara gave Seto a mischievous smile. "I knew you were going to say no, but I figured that you would want Ryou to go back to his land. And besides this might be able to help him find a wife, don't you agree dear?"

Seto was trying to digest the fact that his wife just dupe him into having a ball tomorrow night. Then he thought it over, the ball will last for the night and, if he was lucky, Ryou will find himself a wife and he will be able to have the castle to himself again.

Seto sighed in defeat. "Very well Kisara, tomorrow night we'll have a ball to find Ryou a wife."

Kisara smiled "Thank you dear."

Seto looks at Ryou and glares at him."You better find a wife by then Ryou. Because if you ever want to take over your kingdom, it will all depend on you putting the wedding band over someone's finger."

Ryou tried to say something, but he felt that he couldn't say anything. He just simply nodded.

"Alright."

Kisara continues. "The ball will last till midnight."

"Okay." Ryou says.

Ryou was nervous about the whole ball now. It's difficult enough for him as it is because he has to go back to his kingdom and get everything in order, but now he has the added stress of finding a wife to be his queen.

"Excuse me." Ryou says as he left the room.

Kisara became worried. "Oh my, I hope it wasn't too much for him."

Seto got up from his throne and walked over to Kisara. "He'll get over it, besides it won't be that hard for him to find a bride. That's how we met."

Kisara turned to her husband and smirked. "And you followed me like a lost puppy the entire night."

Seto shrugged. "What can I say, you caught my interest."

Kisara puts her hands on his chest and looked at him. "I just hope that this ball won't be a mistake that I'll later regret."

Seto puts his hands on her bare shoulders. "Well if it does end in disaster, at least you tried. But Ryou needs to find a wife to be king."

Kisara frowned at Seto. "Which reminds me, why do you have to be so mean to Ryou? To tell him to get lost from the kingdom that took him in years ago."

Seto sighed. "Because Kisara, despite that my father wanted to help Ryou, he's been here long enough and he should take care of his own business now. He's been here for ten years and our kingdom can't keep supporting his kingdom, so it's about time he starts taking control and be a King."

Kisara still frowned. "Still you didn't have to be so cruel about it, and why do you want him out so badly?"

Seto turned away. "Like I said, he needs to man up. He's been taking up a lot of our time, like you have to teach him his lessons, taking him for walks in the gardens unnecessarily, he always takes you away from your duties as queen. I feel like that you're coddling him and that won't help him be a ruler."

Kisara looks at him. "Seto...are you telling me you're jealous because I spent a lot of time with Ryou?"

Seto turned bright pink. The truth was Seto was jealous that Kisara paid more attention to Ryou than her husband, he was starting to get irritated that his wife was spending time with Ryou than himself. That's why Seto was in favor of the ball, not only will he get the castle to himself again, he will have his queen as well.

Though he is too stubborn to admit it.

"No comment." Seto started walking away while Kisara had her hands on her hips.

Kisara smiled. "You haven't changed one bit Seto."

* * *

Ryou was sitting at the gardens, looking st his reflection in the water with a sad look. He looks up and he saw a red rose in the bushes, he picked it and starting smelling the flower.

"It's so beautiful," Ryou says softly, he examines the rose again and frowned and looks away from the flower and places it on his lap, "It's hopeless, there is no way I'm ever going to be King. And there absolutely no way I'll be able find someone to be my queen."

"Ryou?" says a male voice.

Ryou turns around, behind him was the garden boy Tristan. He wore a yellow long sleeve shirt with brown pants and boots, his brown hair pointed at the front of his head and he had a pair of dark brown eyes that looked cheerful. Ryou and Tristan were friends for five years since Tristan got a job at tending the gardens in the palace, if he needed someone to talk to, instead of Seto to avoid getting a lecture, he goes to Tristan.

Tristan sits next to Ryou. "Oh, hello Tristan." Ryou says sadly.

"Hey man what's wrong?" Tristan says, showing concern, "you seem down."

That was when Ryou began to explain to Tristan about queen Kisara throwing a ball tomorrow night so they can find Ryou a wife so he can become king. When Ryou was done explaining Tristan was surprised.

"Really?" Tristan says, "Wow, so the time has come for you to tie the knot and be King huh?"

Ryou nods. "Yes, and Kisara assured me that I will meet someone to marry and make her my queen. Tristan, I'm not sure about any of this."

Tristan puts his hand on his shoulder. "Come on Ryou, you're a Prince you were literally born to become a King. And you're good looking so there is no doubt that the ladies will want to be with you."

Ryou looks away. "But Tristan, I don't think I'm cut out for it, and for me to marry someone I don't know and probably won't love is frightening to me. I mean looking at the situation it brings back such terrible...oh, never mind, I don't want to bring up something so depressing."

Tristan was confused at first. "Wait, what are talking abo-oh." Tristan finally understood what Ryou meant.

Ryou was silent for a moment. "...I'm sorry that I brought it up...my family problems shouldn't have been brought up because of my feelings about finding a wife."

"...No I understand, it's because of your parents isn't it?"

Ryou nodded sadly, Tristan tried to put a positive spin in the conversation.

"Well Ryou, I think that a ball would be a good idea. I mean you get to meet a lot of girls and maybe, if you're lucky, you'll find a girl who you want to be with."

Ryou looks at Tristan. "Believe Tristan, being in a relationship sounds wonderful. But forcing a girl to be my queen would be too much, I don't want to burden any woman with that kind of responsibility! It wouldn't be fair for her."

Tristan spoke."Yeah but you're a Prince, you and the girl will be sharing the responsibility as King and Queen right?"

Ryou started to think. "Yeah, that is true."

Ryou was still concerned about the whole thing. Tristan gives him a light punch on the arm.

"There's no need to worry, I'm sure you'll meet someone at the ball."

"But how will I know that'll meet the right one?" Ryou asks.

Tristan smiled. "Simple, when you feel like you have butterflies in your stomach from being around her, but yet at the same time you feel calm and relaxed because she makes you feel secure. And you can't bear to be away from her, not even for one second."

Ryou blinked from Tristan's words. "Wow, how do you know Tristan?"

Tristan turned his direction to the other garden across him and Ryou was a girl picking flowers and putting them in her woven basket. She had long auburn hair that shun in the sun, her green eyes sparkled as she saw Tristan and waved at him. Tristan giggled and waved back at her with a smile.

"That's because of Serenity. When I met her two years ago, I knew she was the one for me, and one year later we got engaged." Tristan says.

Ryou stared at Tristan as the tall man got up and stretched. "Well, I better get back to work," Tristan smiles at Ryou "It will work out in the end, trust me."

Tristan left the Prince with his thoughts. Ryou looks at the rose again and just stared at the plant.

_"I want to be the one to walk you down the aisle Amane!"_

_"And when you get married, I'll walk you down the aisle brother!"_

Ryou spun the rose in his hand as he heard the voices in his head. He sighed and got up from the bench and dropped the rose in the fountain, his expression was mixed with forlornness and grief.

"I'll do my best..."

* * *

**And now we've seen Prince Ryou:) looks like the Prince is stressed about the whole marriage crisis, but why is his kingdom in a crisis? and what kind of secrets does he have in regards to his family? we will find out soon:)**


	4. Invitation to the Ball

**I want to thank all of you for your reviews! And for that here is the next chapter:)**

* * *

The next day the cat, Kura, was prowling around the mansion again. He was quite bored and couldn't find anything else to do, he already knocked down a few vases and broke them, scratched up the furniture and he ripped up Karuko's favorite coat.

He stretched and yawned with a bored expression.

As he walked he saw Daiana scrubbing the floors as she's always done. She wiped her forehead and continued to clean the floor, they heard footsteps coming towards them and Kura hissed and Daiana looked up and there was her two step sisters Karuko and Miho.

Karuko was wearing a ice blue dress with white frills and her hair was up in a bun. Daiana swore that Karuko is the spitting image of her stepmother, she had red hair, she was beautiful and was cruel and cold as ice just like her.

Miho wore a velvet dress with yellow frills and ribbons around the dress with her usual yellow ribbon in her hair.

The two sisters looked down on Daiana, Karuko put her hand on her chin.

"I see that you are working hard as usual step sister dear." Karuko sneered.

Daiana was confused. "Uh..I do this everyday?"

Miho joins in. "Ah! Miho can see her reflection! Daiana is doing a very good job scrubbing the floors!"

Daiana was starting to get uncomfortable with how the conversation was going. She was starting to get become uneasy and Kura was growling at the girls.

"Can I help you?" Daiana asked.

Karuko shrugged. "Can't we just greet our dear stepsister every now and then? Though I must say it looks like you haven't bathed in a while, we could smell you all the way to the other room!"

The stepsisters laughed as Daiana flushed from embarrassment from Karuko's remark, while Kura sprout out his claws with venom in his eyes.

"Your face is filthy to Daiana," Miho commented, "I see dirt spots on your face." Miho pointed at her stepsister's face.

Karuko grinned evilly. "Why you are absolutely right sister, here let me get that for you."

That was when Karuko kicked the bucket of water all over Daiana and became soak and wet. Karuko and Miho laughed at the girl while Kura, who saw the scene, gave an angry meow.

"There, all clean!" Miho exclaimed.

The two girls continued laughing while Daiana wiped herself. She glared at her two stepsister's as she picked up her bucket, it was no surprise to her though. Her stepsister's always treated her like that since they were children, and after her father's death and Karuko and Miho were no longer under the watch of their stepfather they made Daiana's life a living hell. She didn't understand why they treated her so cruelly, and when she tried standing up for herself against Karuko, she slapped her while her stepmother whipped her.

It was one of those reasons why Daiana takes the cruelty and kept to herself. No matter how much she wanted to be treated with respect, there was no way she would get it from her stepfamily. Especially when they have taken over her home that she cannot bare to leave behind.

Daiana sighed and took the bucket to refill it. Kura was furious at what he saw and couldn't believe the human girl was taking the abuse, as a cat he couldn't understand why the girl wouldn't leave. He would have left a long time ago but he saw that Daiana, his can opener, needed some protection and his instincts kicked in.

Unless Daiana grows a backbone, he's not going anywhere.

What her stepsister's have done could not go unpunished in his view. But how can he get back at them? he already ruined Miho's new house coat and he took Karuko's Italian hand-made shoes and buried them outside, what can he do?

Something caught the corner of his eye. He saw three pairs of white slippers by the door, they were new, imported one of a kind silk slippers from Germany that Medea ordered for herself and her daughter's. He wondered why they would leave those slippers at such an open place,a place where anyone can see them.

A place where he can _easily_ get his paws on.

He purred as he went to the slippers. He let out a satisfying growl as he sprout out his claws with an evil grin with his fangs sticking out.

* * *

Daiana came back into the mansion with a new bucket of water. She set it on the ground and wiped her forehead again.

She let out a deep breath, "Well I better get back to work."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Daiana turned around and she went to answer it, when she opened the door she saw a four-foot boy with long, raven black hair and velvet eyes. He was smiling and had a bag of letters.

"Hello madame!" chirped the twelve-year-old boy.

Daiana smiled. "Oh, hello there little boy, can I help you?"

The boy gave Daiana an envelope. "This is a letter from his majesty. I think you'll like what you'll read. Good day."

As Daiana shut the door, Medea came from behind her and snatched the envelope from her hand and opened it. Karuko and Miho came to their mother to read what the letter says.

The three woman gasped and squealed in excitement. Daiana was confused.

"What's wrong?" Daiana asked.

Karuko looks at Daiana. "There is a ball happening at the palace tomorrow night!"

Miho jumped up and down, "It's in the honor of Prince Ryou! The King is inviting all the eligible maidens in the land so the Prince can find himself a wife to be his Queen!"

Medea squealed. "That means if he chooses one of my girls we'll become a royal family!"

Medea and her daughters hugged each other and squealed more. Daiana was wide-eyed and started to smile, she clapped her hands together.

_"A ball! Eligible maidens! That means I can go to the party to! It's been so long since I've been to a party!"_

Medea turned to Daiana and frowned at her step daughter. "What are you smiling about?"

Daiana blinked. "Oh uh..It's just that the ball is tomorrow night, and well everyone gets to go and.." Daiana sheepishly smiles.

Medea went wide-eyed. "Wait! You're saying that _you_ can go to the ball?"

Medea and the girls began to laugh while Daiana flushed from embarrassment.

"You!? At the ball!? Dancing!? Don't make us laugh!" Karuko exclaimed, "Please! What makes you think a man of high status will want to dance with a scullery maid!?"

Miho joined in. "It's just not possible! men want women of elegance, looks and brains. You don't have any of those qualities."

Daiana winced. "I just wanted to go and have just have a good time just like everybody else."

Medea scratched her chin, she had a smirk on her painted lips. Her sinister expression was unnoticed by the girls, she was concocting something as she looked at Daiana. And it was not good.

"How about a deal Daiana." Medea says, catching the girls attention.

Daiana blinked. "Yes Medea?"

"...Tomorrow, if you can get your chores done you can come with us."

Miho and Karuko's jaws dropped in disbelief, while Daiana's face lit up and had a huge smile.

"Really!?" Oh Medea thank you so much!" Daiana says in excitement.

This was a dream come true. Daiana felt the adrenaline flowing through her body from excitement as she thought about the ball, with dancing, the food and meeting new people.

"...Under one condition." Medea says.

Daiana looks at Medea. "Huh?"

Medea continued. "Since the ball is tomorrow night, not only do you need to complete your chores by then...you must complete another task."

"What is it?"

"...You must make your own dress."

Daiana blinked when she was told of her task. "That's all stepmother?" she asked.

Medea nodded. "If you can get your chores done and finish your dress by tomorrow, you can come with us."

This has now proven to be a challenge. For years Daiana was able to carry out all the chores her step mother had given her, but making a dress in the process will be difficult since it will be twenty-four hours until the ball. Multitasking on chores and a dress that usually takes weeks to make will be a challenge.

That will not stop her.

"Alright, I'll do it." Daiana said with determination.

Medea smirked. "I wish you luck then."

Daiana picked up her bucket and walked away, while Karuko and Miho were in shock by their mother's actions.

"Mother!" Karuko exclaimed, "Do you realize what you just said to that scullery maid!? She will make a fool of us if she comes along!"

Medea looks at her frantic daughter's, "Oh course...I said "If" she can finish her dress."

Karuko and Miho realized what Medea meant and they smirked, "Oh...If!" Karuko says and they giggled.

"Do you girls honestly think I would take that wench out in public?" Medea asked them, "You girls must be able to shine bright like stars so men of high status will take you as wives. She would take the attention away from you girls."

Miho was confused. "How would she take the attention away from us?"

Medea sighed, "It's because years ago when I married her pathetic father I knew his little brat would be a threat to you two. Her father was a popular noblemen so there was no doubt that other nobles would have wanted her hand in marriage because of her social status."

Karuko spoke. "But why aren't there any nobles asking to marry that wench now mother?"

Medea smiled, "After I put the rags on her, no one recognized her. The day her father died was the day she lost her title and became a nobody."

Karuko and Miho laughed. "So mama...Daiana won't come to the ball with us then?" Miho asked.

Medea narrowed her eyes with a wicked smirk. "It's fun to see people give their hopes up so quickly, besides now that she is a scullery maid..no man will ever want her, not even a man of noble status."

Medea is a woman of manipulation, who wanted to play games with people's emotions. For years she disappointed Daiana with her lies and false promises, the woman found it hilarious that Daiana was still gullible enough to fall for her lies. She imagined her step daughter's face when she learns that she will not accompany her and the girls to the ball.

Seeing Daiana having tears streaming down her face will give Medea great satisfaction.

She clapped her hands together and smiled. "But enough about her. Now we must find the best tailors in town to make our dresses!"

Karuko had a dreamy look on her face. "I want my gown to be stunning! No man will be able to resist me."

Miho had her hands on her cheeks. "Miho wants to look extra cute, so I can catch Prince Ryou's attention and become his bride!"

Medea was proud of them "That's my girls!"

Something caught the corner of Miho's eye, she saw ripped up threads by the door and pieces of fabric were everywhere.

"Hey, what is that?" Miho pointed at the ripped up threads.

Karuko and Medea looked to where Miho was pointing at. The three women went near it, Medea blinked a few times and picked one of them up.

Medea suddenly became horrified.

"Mother what's wrong?" Karuko asked her.

Medea turned to her eldest daughter and pointed furiously at it. "Karuko! These are our imported silk slipper I ordered from Germany!"

Karuko and Miho went wide-eyed in terror and gasped. They saw something walking by them, it was Kura with a piece of silk in his mouth, he turned around and spit the silk out.

All three of them screamed.

* * *

**Looks like Daiana has a challenge ahead of her, lets pray for her. Please R&R**


	5. The Lost Daughter

**Thank you all for the kind reviews! And I want to than Phoenix for the silk slipper idea and Autobot for encouraging me:) **

**Enjoy:)**

* * *

The next day, Daiana got up extra early so she can do her chores. Her goal was to finish all the chores Medea assigned her to do so she can have the time to make her dress for tonight. It was a challenge but Daiana really wanted to go to the ball.

That morning she cooked everyone's breakfast while she was polishing her stepmother and stepsister's shoe's. After breakfast she started mopping the floors and dusting the shelves, she wasted no time in getting her chores done. She didn't take a break that morning as she is determined to get them done so she get try to finish her dress.

Meanwhile, Medea was in the dressing room watching her daughters getting ready for tonight. Medea invited the dressmakers from town to come to the mansion to make her daughter's dresses, while she will do their hair and makeup.

"Siegfried, can you pass me the measuring tape?" Pegasus asked his young assistant.

Pegasus wore a white puffy shirt with a red vest and a pair of brown pants and black boots, his silver hair was tied back with a piece covering his left eye. Siegfried, his assistant, had long pink hair that was also tied up and was wearing a white shirt with a pink jacket and short pants with white nine longs and brown shoe's.

Siegfried passes the measuring tape to Pegasus as he measure's Karuko's bust. Siegfried stands up to get the fabric.

"Well this is going to be a long day, Herr Pegasus, the women from all over this Kingdom will be dragging us all over to make their dresses. Why couldn't they get their dresses done earlier!?"

Pegasus turns around with a smile. "Siegfried, these ladies are counting on us to make them beautiful...and they pay us very well."

Medea was sitting on the couch with a fan in her hand and smiles. "And I can pay you gentlemen with a healthy amount of whatever your heart desires if you make my girls lovely for the Prince tonight."

Siegfried twitches, while Pegasus took his hands and drew a smile on his face.

"Siegfried, remember to smile." Pegasus says in a sing-song tone.

Siegfried sighed and forced a smile on his face while they prepare Miho and Karuko. Medea got up and wet outside for a bit and sighed dreamily.

"This is perfect! one of my daughter's are destined to catch the Prince's eye and if he marries one of them I will be richer beyond my wildest dreams!"

Years ago when Medea married Daiana's father, she knew he was a well known noble man with a lot of money. While Arthur married Medea so Daiana can have a mother, Medea married him for his money and so she can increase her own popularity and her daughter's as well. In this case, her goal was to make sure one of her daughter's marry the Prince, whether if it's Miho or Karuko who become's queen Medea will still become part of the royal family.

Medea continues to laugh, until she saw Daiana sweeping the floors. Medea looked down on the balcony while Daiana was humming a tune and smiling, while she started dancing with the broom as she cleaned.

Medea saw red.

She hated her stepdaughter with a passion. When she met Daiana when she was a child Medea despised her, back then Daiana used to wear nice dresses and was living in luxury before Medea made her into a scullery maid in her own home. Daiana was being educated by the best tutors and would often be at social gatherings, while Medea's daughters were ignored.

When Medea made Daiana become a servant, she was certain it would be the end of Daiana and her daughter's will start to gain attention. However, she still has fears of Daiana outshining her, Karuko and Miho, despite that Daiana wore rags she was still beautiful, her raven hair was shiny and her eyes were filled with wonder and energy and her smile would draw people in like a moth to light. Medea is a vain woman who couldn't stand to see anyone more beautiful than her or her own daughters.

Medea clenched her fists, her anger and jealousy was starting to rise as she looked down at the young turned around and saw herself in the mirror. Her face was starting to wrinkle a bit and dark circles were forming from her stress and anger, she gasped and panicked.

"Oh dear! What a face!"

Medea rushed down the hall to her bedroom and sat in front of her mirror and started to apply her makeup, she put on some cream cover up, then she does her eye lashes and then she applies her red lipstick.

She looks at her reflection and sighs in relief. "Ah, much better," She smiled and fixed her hair.

She turned around and had a smirk. "There is nothing to worry about, besides she isn't a threat.," Medea turned her direction at her white dresser," As a matter of fact..."

Medea went to her drawer's and she took out a little bottle with a cork on it. Medea stared at the bottle with a dark smile.

"It'll be tea time in a few hours, I should go and make some."

As she walked back outside. Meanwhile Kura, who was on Medea's bed the whole time, heard everything and he started to growl and brought out his claws.

* * *

Daiana was taking a break and went upstairs to her room. She shuts her door and heads towards the model, which had a long white dress on. Daiana took out her sewing kit and began to sew the sides of the dress with a smile as she hummed a tune.

The unfinished white dress was made by her mother, but she never had enough time to finish because she was busy with her married life and after Daiana was born she had to take care of her. Sadly a few months after Daiana's birth she became ill and passed away.

Daiana's father showed her the dress when she was a child when he was telling her about her mother. When she found it in the attic after Medea and her daughters came to live with her and her father, she kept it hidden so they wouldn't throw it out.

Daiana blushed as she closed her eyes. "To think, this is really happening, I can't wait." She giggled and tries to finish up as much as she can before she had to go back to work.

* * *

Siegfried and Pegasus were taking a break, they were now outside breathing the fresh air. Siegfried was stretching and was feeling irritated.

"What a relief to get out that house! those girls were horrid!" Siegfried complained, "That Karuko was such a demanding little drama queen and that Miho is just a self absorbed little brat!"

Pegasus looks at Siegfried with a smirk. "It sounds like a certain pink haired German assistant I know."

Siegfried growled. "I'm not like that anymore Herr Pegasus, I'm a hardworking dress maker now, trying to make something of myself."

Pegasus nodded. "Yes you are, though still have a long way to go since you can still be demanding."

Siegfried rolled his eyes and looked around the yard.

"Pegasus? didn't you say that this mansion once belonged to a deceased noble man?" The pink haired man asked.

Pegasus looks at him. "Yes I have, the man who died was Arthur Hawkins. He was very popular throughout the land, and he was quite the charmer among the Aristocrats. Some called him odd however."

Siegfried was confused. "Why was that?"

"Apparently he was all about science. While this land thrives on art and culture, Arthur was a science fanatic who was about philosophy, theories, discovering formula's and experimenting. Irregardless, he was still admired by everyone, and they were devastated when he passed away."

"What happened?" Siegfried asked.

Pegasus continued. "He was found dead in his study one night. He was on the ground and wasn't breathing, no one knew how he died. It was quite sad, not to mention that he got married the week before."

Siegfried was surprised. "Herr Hawkin's was married?"

"Of course, we just met his wife in the mansion."

Siegfried was flabbergasted. "Wait! you mean that woman we are dressing up for is his wife!?"

Pegasus smiled. "_Was_ his wife, she is now his widow."

Siegfried was stunned to learn this. He was starting to question himself on why a man who was dedicated to science and knowledge would choose to marry such a self absorbed woman. While Siegfried was a Narcissist himself at times he was humble compared to the woman and her spoiled children.

Siegfried sighed. "Well if Herr Hawkins wanted to marry her and have those children with her than that is none of my concern then. It was his choice."

Pegasus looks at Siegfried in confusion. "What? Siegfried boy, those two are his stepdaughters. Arthur only had one daughter."

Siegfried, once again, was shocked. "He has a daughter?"

Pegasus nodded. "Yes, before he married that woman Medea he was married to another woman. She died after their child was born due to illness."

"How do you know this?" Siegfried asked.

Pegasus smirks. "When you make dresses for nobles and Aristocrats, you end up over hearing a lot of juicy stories and gossip."

"What happened to her?" Siegfried asked.

"During the funeral, Medea told everyone that after Arthur's death, her step daughter vanished. After a year everyone presumed her to be dead."

Siegfried gasped. "Did they look for her?"

Pegasus gave a sad look on his face. "They searched high and low for the little girl, they never found her. Ten years have passed and she is still missing, she would be eighteen now."

Siegfried gave a sympathetic look. Hearing the story of a man found dead and his daughter going missing and is believed to be dead left Siegfried feeling depressed, he sighed as he brought his hands to his face and brought it down stretching his features.

Pegasus sighed. "Yes, a young girl lost to the world forever."

Siegfried narrowed his eyes at him. "Why must you tell such depressing stories?"

Pegasus just shrugs."I'm a sucker for sappy stories Siegfried boy."

Siegfried was annoyed with the older man and stretches. "But still, I am curious now as to what has happened to her."

"Only time can tell Siegfried, who know's maybe she might turn up again someday," Pegasus chuckles, "My, that would be scandalous don't you think?"

Siegfried gave a sarcastic tone. "Yes, maybe she might show up at the ball tonight."

Pegasus smiles. "Maybe Siegfried, you never know what life will hit you with."

Siegfried, controlling his temper with his boss for not getting his sarcasm, looks up at the clock and saw their break time is over.

Siegfried looks at his boss. "We better get in, if we hurry than we can get out as quickly as possible."

Suddenly, they heard shouting from the upstairs window where Karuko and Miho were at.

"Hands off that's mine squirt!" Karuko yelled at Miho.

"No! It's Miho's Karuko!"

Siegfried and Pegasus winced as they heard crashing and the sounds of slapping and kicking.

Pegasus laughs. "Hell hath no furry of a woman's scorn."

Siegfried had a annoyed and irritated expression while his eyebrow twitched.

"Well wherever the lost daughter is, at least she doesn't have to put up with that."

* * *

Medea was putting in the tea in the pot while humming to herself, after wards she pours the hot water in it. She reaches into her dress pocket and takes out the little bottle, she takes off the cork and pours the substance in.

She puts the tea pot cap on top and had a dark smile on her painted lips.

"Daiana has been working oh so hard, the poor dear must be tired...perhaps the poppy juice will help her sleep for a few hours while we leave for the ball."

Medea laughs.

* * *

**_Oh Medea what evil plan are you up to!?_**


	6. Anxiety and Broken Promises

_**Wow..I realized I have all the time in the world to write this story, you want to know why?...my life is very boring.**_

_**So on the last chapter Pegasus was talking about the lost daughter of Arthur Hopkins, and we already know who the poor soul is:( and it looks like Medea is threatened by Daiana, and hopefully nothing will happen to the poor girl.**_

* * *

Ryou was an absolute wreck. The servants were preparing the food, cleaning the floors and were setting the tables, while the Prince stood in the middle as he was petrified about tonight.

Ryou was already wearing his party clothes, he wore a white shirt and pants with blue linings with a blue cape. His long white hair was in a low pony tail while some of the strands framed his face, he was pacing the room and he felt like he was about to throw up. Though if he did that the maids wouldn't be too happy about.

"It's alright now," Ryou says to himself to calm down, "I just have to calm myself and give this a shot. Who know's maybe I'll have a good time, and for Seto's sake I might find a wife...," Ryou stops",...Who am I kidding this is going to be a disaster!"

Ryou was not looking forward to the ball, over the last twenty-four hours he had stressed over the event. He was expected, by Seto mostly, to find a wife by tonight so he will have a Queen for his land, and so far Ryou had been thinking about the hordes of women that will crowd him so one of them can convince them to be his bride.

He started to get a headache already for just thinking about it.

"My Prince?" Says a female voice.

Ryou turns around and see's Tristan's fiancé Serenity. She wore a white shirt while her dress was pink, she had a concerned expression as she saw the Prince in distress.

"Oh, hello Serenity," Ryou says with a smile, "I take it that you will be getting ready for the ball?"

Serenity nods. "Yes I am, but I'm getting worried about you, you seem anxious."

Ryou scratched the back of his head. He was trying to come up with an excuse so he won't cause people to worry, though he wasn't a very good liar since he can't come up with a good pie in the sky response.

"It's just that..well tonight the king wants me to find a wife, so I'm feeling a bit under pressure. But I'll be fine don't worry."

Serenity sighed, "Ryou, it's okay that you're scared tonight," Serenity says, "things like this shouldn't be rushed and the king has no right to bully you into marrying someone, especially if it's a stranger that you don't love."

Ryou looks at Serenity worried. "Well he is expecting me to find a girl to become my queen so I restore my kingdom. But I just don't want to marry some random girl from the party."

Serenity looked around, then something caught the corner of her eye.

"Huh?" Serenity says.

Ryou was curious to see what Serenity was looking at, when he turned around he saw two people arguing. One was a man who was tall, slim and had red hair that was a long mushroom cut and gray eyes. He was wearing a gray sleeveless shirt with black pants and boots. The other person was a woman who was four inches shorter than the man, she had long wavy light brown hair and blue eyes glaring at the man as she set the table. She was also wearing a sleeveless shirt but it was green and wore gray pants and brown boots .

"Does that pompous King honestly think he can expand the ball to the archery grounds!" the man exclaimed, "that is where I train the soldiers! and I highly doubt the upper class are going to clean up after themselves when they go there to chat about their fortune and life of luxury."

The girl rolled her eyes, "Alister stop complaining, it's only for tonight," she snaps, "they'll be gone by midnight."

Alister growled. "The King is doing this to annoy me, I know he is Violet!"

Violet looks at him. "Now why would you say that?"

Alister gave her a blank and annoyed expression. "We've been at each other's throats since day one, even you have had to know that."

Suddenly, there was a sound of breaking glass and Violet took her away and gasped in pain. While Alister and Violet were arguing, she accidentally clinked a glass cup to an ice statue and it broke in her hand and cut her finger. She cursed under breath and Alister was alarmed.

"Oh crap! Violet!"

Violet gripped her hand and looked up at Alister with a grimace expression. "I'm fine, it's just a cut."

Alister took Violet's hand, he saw her slim finger dripping with the red substance and saw the cut. Without warning, he puts her finger his mouth, causing Violet to flush. She felt his tongue swirling around her finger and he washed the blood off, while Violet just stood there in shock as she felt his hot breath on her flesh in his mouth. Alister takes his lips off of her injured finger and takes out a piece of cloth from his pocket, while he holds Violet's hand he uses his other hand to put the cloth to his mouth and rips a piece of the cloth with his teeth. He takes the ripped piece and wraps it around her finger and ties it.

"There, "Alister says with a warm smile, "that should do it."

Violet looks away, moving a piece of her hair behind her ear. "..Thank you Alister."

Alister sighed. "I'm sorry, while I was complaining about Seto, you ended up getting cut."

Violet shook her head with a smile. "Don't be sorry, that's what I get for listening to you while multitasking."

Alister laughed a bit. "I think it would best to save my whining for you later when you are not busy."

Violet gave him a sly look. "And I look forward to hearing you complain about your problems with the King."

Meanwhile, Ryou was stunned at what he just saw while Serenity just smiled.

"Wow." Serenity says.

"...I can't believe it," Ryou says in disbelief, "One minute ago they were fighting, and then the next thing I knew they're laughing and he's apologizing, how is that possible?"

Serenity looked confused at the Prince. "What do you mean by that my Prince? Alister and Violet sometimes argue and then they make up."

Ryou just continued to be shell shocked. Serenity continued to look at the Prince in confusion, as she looked at Ryou she saw that the Prince observed what had just happened between the couple he saw. It was like something he had never saw before, he had seen the King and Queen have disagreements sometimes but seeing the interaction at the dining table had Ryou looking dumbfounded.

"It's just...I've never seen anything like before...even with the King and Queen.."

There was a moment of silence, then Ryou shook his head and smiles sheepishly at the auburn haired girl.

"I'm terribly sorry, I must be going now." Ryou bows and leaves.

Serenity started to get worried. "...My Prince."

* * *

Daiana was on her break again, and like last time she went back to her room to finish her dress. She grew more and more excited with each thread she sewed, and she was nearly done.

This morning the dress she took out was long, thin and sleeveless, now it was puffy at the bottom with two big blue bows on separate sides at the front. On the top Daiana sewed on sleeves and puffy shoulder with another set of blue bows on each sleeve tied between the shoulder and sleeve. Now all Daiana has to was sew a few more stitches and she will be set to go to the ball, she had a big grin on her face as she stretched and observed the dress.

"There, I'm almost finished!" Daiana says proudly, "just a few more adjustments and it'll be ready."

Daiana looks at the dress again, this time in awe. For the first time in years, she was proud of herself for what she had accomplished today, she dedicated her time to make the dress with her sweat and hard work. Her determination not only made her finish her dress in time, but she ended up finishing a dress that her mother never got a chance to finish.

Daiana never met her mother. About three months after Daiana was born there was a disease that spread throughout the land and her mother, unfortunately, became a victim of the illness. Her father had many doctors come to their home in hopes that they would cure his wife, but their attempts were in vain as she grew sicker and sicker. It was when Daiana was six months old that her mother had passed away and her father Arthur grieved for his loss, then years later when Daiana was a little girl Arthur took an interest in science and he finally started to heal from losing his wife.

Daiana remembered when she saw her father in the garden writing in his journal. He was studying the flowers and the other plants as part of his interests, it was when she took an interest in it to.

It was also one of her happiest memories with her father.

_Six year old Daiana was walking around the garden outside. She wore a white dress with a blue over shirt with it, her honey brown eyes scanned the tree's and the blue sky with the white clouds scattered everywhere._

_She heard a voice from the other side. Like all children she let her curiosity get the better of her and she went to investigate, she looked in the bushes and there was her father, Arthur Hopkins, sitting in the grass writing in his journal as he looked at a purple flower in front of him. His eyes focusing on the plant as he observes every detail of the little violet._

_Suddenly, something caught the corner of his eye. There was his daughter, standing with her body language showing uncertainty as she didn't want to disturb her father with what he was doing._

_"Daiana?" Arthur says, "What are you doing?"_

_"Daiana flushed in embarrassment. "I'm sorry father, I was walking around and I didn't know you would be there. I didn't mean to distract you."_

_Arthur blinked, then he smiled and he offered his hand. "Come, I want to show you something."_

_Daiana was confused, but she took her father's hand and sat beside him. Arthur brought his journal to his daughter to read._

_"This is what I was doing." Arthur tells Daiana._

_Daiana raised an eyebrow as she was perplexed from what her father was showing to her. "What is it?" She asked._

_"My botany notes dear." Arthur says._

_"Botany?"_

_"It's a term that means studying the science of flowers and plants. I'm evaluating the flowers in the garden to see how each plant develops, did you know that the buds on the flowers produces the most nutrients in the flowers?"_

_Daiana listened to her father as he explained more about the subject. She listened with fascination and amazement and she saw the joy and happiness in her father's eyes as he talked about his favorite subject, she loved seeing her father smile._

_Then, as he finished talking he reaches over to the violet and picked it. Daiana was surprised as her father put the violet in her hair, she looks up at her father and he smiles at her._

_She laughs._

"Daiana." Says a voice from behind.

Daiana snapped out of her imagination and turns around. There stood her stepmother with a tray of tea, and to Daiana's concern she was smiling.

"Oh," Daiana says, she gets up and curtsied, "evening stepmother."

Medea forced a smile on her face. "So how is your dress coming along?"

Daiana smiled. "It's great! I am just about finished!" Daiana moved away to show her stepmother the dress.

Medea nearly had a heart attack when she saw the white dress with blue bows on it. How was it possible? How was her useless stepdaughter able to finish her dress this quickly? Medea took a deep breath to calm down.

"It's lovely," She says, "How did you make it this fast?" Medea starts to pour Daiana's tea with a sinister look on her face.

"I made it from an incomplete dress my late mother didn't get to complete," Daiana says, "she couldn't finish it because she got sick from an epidemic that was happening all over the land when I was a baby, it wasn't long until she died."

"Oh the poor thing," Medea contributed to cover her annoyance, "So I take it that your father's first wife was a dress-maker?"

Daiana looks at Medea, who kept a straight face. "Actually my father told me she was a tailor's apprentice. There is actually a cute story of how they met, my father needed his suit fixed so he had a tailor come in and my mother, being an apprentice, came along with him. The tailor wanted my mother to try to sew up my father's pants, of course she made mistakes but she and my father had a few laughs, soon my parents started to see each other and a year later they were married."

Medea mentally gagged. _"My foolish late husband was married to a tailor's apprentice! It's no wonder his daughter is so pathetic! I almost actually pity her!"_

"Stepmother?" Daiana says, "Is something wrong?"

Medea shook her head. "Oh, nothing's wrong dear!"

The woman lifts the cup and looks into the dark liquid. Knowing what's in it made he relax, if she can get Daiana to drink just the right of tea with the poppy juice in it.

It can kill her.

"I brought you some tea. You must be famished, you've worked so hard." Medea says as she offers the cup to her stepdaughter.

Daiana was uncertain but she took the cup. "Uh, thank you stepmother. How come you made me tea?"

Medea smiled. "Can't a stepmother do something kind for her dear stepdaughter?"

Daiana was still suspicious of her stepmother's actions. Daiana looked in the cup and soon she began to bring to cup towards her lips, Medea watched in anticipation as she watched her stepdaughter drink to her death.

_"Yes! drink it! drink the tea!"_

A loud hiss filled the room and Kura jumped and knocked the tea out of Daiana's hand, the cup crashed on the ground and shattered into pieces. Kura landed on his feet as he growled at Medea, who was shocked, and Daiana was mortified.

"Kura!" Daiana exclaimed, "What did you do that for!?"

Medea clenched her fists and gritted her teeth in anger as she glared at the Persian cat who ruined her plans.

"Why you miserable feline!" Medea shouted and stepped forward.

From her pocket something fell out. It was a long empty glass bottle and it rolled towards Daiana's feet, Medea went pale as her stepdaughter picked it up.

"What's this? Daiana asked.

Medea had to think of something quick, she scoffed. "It's just an empty bottle, what's the big deal?"

Curious, Daiana took the cork out of the bottle and sniffed inside of it. Her nostrils burned as she smelt a strong scent that made her eyes watery, then she started to recognize the smell in the bottle.

"Wait a minute..," Daiana says," It smells like..poppy juice!"

Kura meowed, Daiana looked where the Persian cat was and saw he was sitting next to the tea-pot. Daiana walks over and to it and started to make a connection to the bottle and why Kura knocked the tea out of her hands.

Meanwhile Medea started to panic and had to think fast. She looked around in Daiana's room and in the corner of her eye she found an empty bottle, she went to grab it and in the last-minute.

SMASH!

Daiana fell to the ground unconscious. broken pieces of glass were around the girls head as she was out cold, Medea was breathing heavily and dropped her weapon.

"Sorry, but I can't let anyone know what I tried to do to you...or let anyone know you still exist."

Medea turns around to see Daiana's dress. It made her blood boil, it was cheap, homemade and it was beautiful which made Medea sick to her stomach.

She couldn't let anyone see that dress, she couldn't let anyone see her stepdaughter in that dress she made. She marched over and grabbed it.

"For ten years I've kept you out of the public eye you brat! I will not let you ruin my chances nor my daughters chances to be at the top! nothing and no one will stop us and I will see to it that the world forever forgets, Daiana Hopkins!"

Medea rips the dress with an evil smile. Kura, who was by Daiana's side saw what the wicked stepmother had done, without warning the feline sprout out his claws and teeth, he jumped on the bed and leaped onto Medea, attacking her.

Medea screamed as the feline scratched her face and hissed. It wasn't long until she finally grabbed the cat by his neck and angrily opens the closet.

"When I get back I will deal with you personally!"

She threw the cat into the closet and put a chair in front of it to keep him locked in. The cat meowed angrily and scratched at the door, Medea turns to leave but before she did she glared at the unconscious Daiana. How dare she actually finish a dress for her empty promise! The girl should of known by now what she was capable of and yet Daiana challenged her authority even though Medea lied to her about letting her come to the ball.

Daiana has proven to be a problem when she finished her dress. The determination she had to get something this hard done made Medea alarmed, if she can carry out that, what else can she do?

"And you as well, Stepdaughter." Medea shut the door and went down the hallways.

Once again she looked in the mirror in horror. She saw her face scratched up, her make up was a mess as her eye shadow was spread to her forehead as well as her mascara, her lip stick spread across her face and her hair was a mess from Kura tugging at it from the fight.

Medea heard voices from the hallway. It was her daughters Karuko and Miho and hey are ready for the ball, Karuko was wearing a red dress with a pattern of black frills going around it, the top was low-cut revealing her cleavage with two small straps going over her shoulders with a pair of long black gloves. Her hair was down with a rose in it and she had red lipstick on with black eyeliner.

Miho wore a cream colored dress with white frills at the bottom with a green ribbon around her waist. Her sleeves were up to her shoulders with white frills around them, her hair was up in a green bow.

The girls stopped as they saw their mother. they were mortified when they saw her torn up.

"Mother! What happened to you!?" Karuko exclaimed.

"Mama you look terrible!" Miho says in shock.

Medea moved a piece of her hair out of her face. "You two can say I got into..a cat fight."

Karuko realizes that it was Kura's doing as she saw the tiny scratch marks on her mother's face.

"It was that cat wasn't it! That is it I am going to skin that little parasite alive!" Karuko shouts.

Medea interfere's."No Karuko, I don't want you to lose your decorum, tonight is the night that you must impress the Prince. Losing your temper on a stupid cat will just waste your efforts...besides when we get back from the ball I plan to _take care_ of that pest once and for all."

"What will you do mama?" Miho asks.

Medea smiles. "Mommy will take care of it. Right now I just want you two to be the most beautiful women in the ball, because if the Prince chooses one of you girls as his bride, we will become royalty and we can leave this dump once and for all and live in riches beyond our wildest dreams."

Karuko and Miho nod in determination.

"Don't worry mother," Karuko says with a smirk, "I will see to it with my adult appeal, the Prince will be putty in my hands and he will be begging me to marry him before the night ends."

Miho huffed. "No way Karuko! The Prince will marry Miho! He is too cute and sensitive your type will be too much for him to handle, since Miho is cute he will be attracted to me and Miho will become Queen."

Medea's eyes start to water in sheer happiness as her daughters, she sniffed.

"I am so proud of the both of you!"

Karuko looks at her mother. "Say mother? Where is Daiana?"

"Yes, I haven't seen her." Miho says.

Medea blinked, then she had a menacing glare and smirked as she remembered her unconscious stepdaughter in the other room.

"She is no longer a concern girls,we won't have to worry about her."

Karuko laughed. "Yes, you must have told her that her coming with us to the ball was a lie huh? She must crying like a baby!"

Medea and the girls laughed, then Medea looked at herself in the mirror again and was horrified.

"Ah! Oh dear! I must get cleaned up and ready for the ball! I'll meet you downstairs in a few girls!" Medea exclaims as she heads towards her room to get ready.

Karuko and Miho blinked as they saw their mother bolt away.

"...Mama really likes makeup doesn't she?" Miho says.

Karuko continues forward. "When you become mothers age, it's a daily ritual."

* * *

Medea was ready and headed outside with her daughters to the carriage. She wore a long green dress with white frills in the middle and the bottom of her dress, she had a white scarf tucks in her neck and her green sleeves were practically skin tight. Her hair was down and it was straight with curls at the bottom going up, Medea redid her make up and put on extra power to cover the scratches Kura gave her and wore darker red lipstick and black eyeliner.

"This is it girls," Medea begins, "I want you two to give it all you got. This isn't a noble man you are after, this a man of royal blood, I've taught you two how to be noble women since you were little girls and I want you to use what I've taught you to impress him. One way or another we must have him marry one of you's."

Karuko laughs. "Of course mother."

"And men find Miho irresistable!" Miho exclaims in excitement.

Medea smiles, then while they were at the carriage Medea looks at up the mansion. She was looking at the window at the very top tower, it was where her stepdaughter's room was.

Where she was still knocked out.

Medea had an evil grin. _"Looks like you won't be attending the ball after all, dear stepdaughter. And tonight when one of my daughters wins the Princes heart, we will be moving out of this pitiful home of yours and head off to his castle to live in riches...while you'll be left here to rot for the rest of your pathetic life!"_

Karuko, Miho and Medea step into the carriage and they head off to the castle.

* * *

_**Poor poor Daiana**_


End file.
